In the newsletter we are often excited to introduce new wines from new places, to pull the curtain a little wider on the endless variety that wine offers. Sometimes though, we like nothing more than to welcome back old friends. Domaine du Cros Marcillac has been appearing on a regular schedule in this newsletter for as long as anyone here can remember. This is because even now, with winemakers all over the world are bushwhacking in the wild to rediscover long forgotten vineyards, there’s still nothing quite like this cheerfully inexpensive Fer Servadou from a remote appellation atop France’s Massif Central. Marcillac is out of the way even in Southwest France where “Out of the way forgotten appellation” is nearly a regional trademark, but this wine brought to us by the brothers Eric and Joel Durand since 1991 is a yearly revelation. In the 2021 edition we find deep black damp soil, tar, and underbrush with blackcurrant, blackberry and finger-staining black cherries. The palate brings inky dark fruits with a touch of clay and pepper. The acidity is taut and the tannins are chunky and firm, the stone foundation of a well built house. For food pairing, look for homespun fare from the southwest of France.